My Professional Basement Brewery

[The Beerery]

About a year ago, and to commemorate my 1500th batch. I set out to construct a professional "German" brewhouse in my basement. While its not completely finished as of yet, it's getting close. I still have the room left to finish, grain storage and delivery, and hop automation left.

I partnered with stout tanks and kettles to come out with a Low Oxygen Brewing specific kettle line, so others could buy these if interested. I designed theses kettles specifically to be optimized for my brewing. So this really is a from scratch build, all the way from designing the kettles, to them being custom built to my specs, etc.

The Vessel specs:

26 gallon HERMS HLT
50ft SS herms coil
Tangential whirlpool inlet
100% tri clover, sanitary welded and mirror polished inside and out
Bottom Drain
On legs and wheels.
Gasketed and clamped lid
Sample Port
https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn....=fb87c7b8cd69397a48be3a25a4377afd&oe=5C18EE03

20 gallon mash tun
100% tri clover, sanitary welded and mirror polished inside and out.
Custom Lautering pipe
Custom hangers inside for a BIAB bag
Bottom drain
On legs and wheels.
Gasketed and clamped lid
Sample Port
https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn....=4f95699e7b950043ff71dd4c4e46d884&oe=5C19A019

20 Gallon Boil kettle
100% tri clover, sanitary welded and mirror polished inside and out.
Domed bottom, with trub dam
Tangential whirlpool inlet
On legs and wheels.
Gasketed and clamped lid
Sample Port
https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn....=87e96ebf4c8447085076a55de0315b91&oe=5C2311D1

https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn....=57a79a4f8208dbb79d3364372ce0d9c2&oe=5C1F772F
To control the system, I built a control panel from scratch using a 24" touch screen monitor. I 3d modeled the system from scratch as well, and use that as my background.
https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn....=e38244d11fcd22243f6aafdf85921c83&oe=5C2AE1BA

https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn....=1fc37b3db5c50d21309ebfd04571baa0&oe=5C29419F


Assembled system
https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn....=c91d67e08868486a5fbc85f696e7fbd5&oe=5C25CBF3

https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn....=19d269fd4a584de4e597b587b67c9491&oe=5C302292

https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn....=18c997b22fcb9110c01deb14620abc0e&oe=5C2B4FEF

The Setup:
The system features roughly 24 electric ball valves
15 solenoid valves
5 proportional valves
4 pumps
8 flow meters
9 temperature sensors
2 Mirco motion mass flow meters, for realtime gravity in the mash tun and boil kettle
Each vessel has its own DO and pH probes.
Each vessel has its own volume sensors
Each vessel has it own Pressure sensors (for monitoring pressure in the vessels)
4 CFC chillers
Each vessel has a dedicated oxygen sensor for o2% in the headspace
Built in acid dosing, and auto ph logic
CIP
RO TDS and replacement automation

I have built the automation scripts from scratch, and as of right now it is nearly 100% automated ( minus grain delivery and hop additions, but thats in progress)

The brewing interface looks like this :
https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn....=ae4d252f452377de3331b1e627febcd8&oe=5C35AA46


On brewday, I have a separate page that I upload all the variables to that day of brewing
https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn....=101e08f414ae1cbe8749927f0799840c&oe=5C342983

Once I click "Recipe Input", it then goes about its way on brewing.

Which makes it very easy to start brew sessions early in the morning, or even from work, and time it to be home just for hop additions.

Stress free remote brewing:
https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn....=ad4948f1c47b57dab725f41ea2f6ff84&oe=5C355E77

When brewing is done, the fermentation automation takes over with a few stout conicals, and some SS brew buckets.

https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn....=7bc665b058f27ef9782d41890821fad1&oe=5C1A883B

Again I 3d modeled everything and built the scripts to control it

https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn....=efdb5a72e4702d77606329d1b52d01b0&oe=5C27D2E5

https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn....=4db4e3b1a39dbf8e3ffa362a90c02ebd&oe=5C33CB00

Once fermentation is nearing completion and since I brew according to the RHG, the system will transfer the beer over to the serving kegs where its using some more custom scripting to "Auto Spund" the kegs based on their temperature and carbonation level desired. It's all dynamic, and no human interaction is needed.

https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn....=e68e26508c466859a75220feaba9ccb5&oe=5C1FD6CD
I built this brewery because the Continental macro brewers and their technology fascinate me. I have the strictest of standards when it comes to beer, and this system allows me to always reproduce the beer I set out to brew. Automation is one of my favorite things to do, and it allows me to have stress free, and always consistent product.


Edit: A lot of people have asked for specs on the vessels.. here they are:
http://www.lowoxygenbrewing.com/stout-tanks-and-kettles-llc/


I have a bunch more stuff on FB and IG, and YT

https://www.facebook.com/thebeerery/
https://www.instagram.com/lowoxygenbrewing/

Prost!

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

great to have you here, I've followed some of your post's good luck

 

[CRUNK]

Welcome bryan.

 

[N0mad]

I've followed Bryan's YouTube channel also on the German Brewing forum... smart guy... welcome

 

[PutnamBrew]

That looks incredible! I'll have to check out your Channel. Reminds me I need to get a couple video's posted as well.

 

[Hawkbox]

I was going to say something about spam but that was way to much work for a bot.

 

[Craigerrr]

Mirror polished this, and that!
Very impressive!
Welcome to BF, looking forward to hearing about some of your brewing adventures.

 

[GFHomebrew]

Wowie where do you get all that spare time! Inspiring stuff and 1500 brews! i pail in insignificance .

 

[The Beerery]

Update for those who care.

Still tweaking and adding stuff. Hardware wise only 3 things are left.. On the list is Hop additions, grain delivery, and grain storage. I plan on working on these things in that order.

Whats new?

Added pressure sensors to the brewing vessels to monitor pressure for purging and vac.
Added N2 tank solenoid
Added HLT Boil valve
Added BK Boil valve
Added Mash Bypass valve
Added Fermenter volume sensors (x4) (in anticipation for auto fermenter transfers)
Added more spunding setups (x4)
Added co2 tank monitoring with high pressure sensors, created a dynamic script showing % left (based on temp and pressure), and alarm notifications for leaks and low tanks (x3)
Closed up the Panel
Revised some scripts
Modified my brew buckets for larger valves (x2) (in anticipation for auto fermenter transfers)
I am sure there is more I am forgetting.

Panel Completed:

Revised Brewing Interface:

Revised Fermentation interface, Tank volumes in top right

Fermenter Modification

Some beers are finally starting to fill the pipeline. They are not quite ready, but close enough to start drinking.
Festbier:
72% Barke pils
20% Barke vienna
8% carahell
24ibu

Marzen:
80% Barke Munich
10% Barke Pils
5% carared
5% caraaroma
2oz sinamar (for color)
24ibu

Keller Pils
80% Barke Pils
20% light Munich
45ibu

 

[GFHomebrew]

Now that is some quality HB mmmm mmmm!

 

[Hawkbox]

Jesus Christ!

 

[mechamaniaboy]

Super impressive system and props for having the vision, neurones and wherewithal to figure it all out, PM it, commission it and completely beyond reach and comprehension for a spudboy like me! What do you do for a living? Awesome!

 

[The Beerery]

Super impressive system and props for having the vision, neurones and wherewithal to figure it all out, PM it, commission it and completely beyond reach and comprehension for a spudboy like me! What do you do for a living? Awesome!

Thanks!
I work in the fiber optics transport field. Frickin laser beams.

 

[Group W]

Laser focus on brewing it appears as well. Nice looking brews!

 

[Hawkbox]

Should be using lasers to heat the wort, missed an opportunity.

 

[The Beerery]

State of the State with the interfaces and whatnot.

 

[BilltownBrewingCo]

Is it weird if I am aroused?

 

[Nosybear]

Kind of weird.

 

[Mark Farrall]

Is it weird if I am aroused?

And here I was thinking the idea of brewing in open rock/concrete Yorkshire squares was interesting. Different worlds.

 

[Nosybear]

Compared to my schlepp and dump setup.... I'll take mine. Sorry, gents, it's not THAT hardware that interests me....